Organizing for America | Thom Myers' Blog

Economic stimulus is all about creating jobs

By Thom Myers - ObamaZoo - Feb 21st, 2009 at 7:15 pm EST

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My biggest problem with the $760+ billion economic stimulus package is not highway construction or any of the other spending. It's the tax cuts. Those of us who qualify for the personal tax cuts will net about $5 a week. How many houses and cars are you planning to buy with your extra $5?

Cutting taxes for low- and middle-income families was an important promise of the Obama campaign, which was supposed to be offset with tax increases for the wealthiest 2 percent. The latter did not happen, because 100 percent of Republicans and 90 percent of Democrats were not going to support a tax increase on anyone for anything. So, we added to the deficit and the bills our grandchildren will pay with no offsets.

If you proposed a tax increase on the sale of heroine or child pornography, the Republicans would oppose it. It's not because Republicans support the sale of heroine or child pornography--don't be ridiculous--they just ridiculously oppose increasing taxes regardless of how fair or fiscally and socially responsible a tax increase might be.

An extra $5 or $10 a week is not going to restore consumer confidence, change spending patterns or stimulate the economy. It's not that giving working families a break is a bad thing. It's just not going to stimulate the economy.

There are only three things that will stimulate the economy and shorten the recession: jobs, jobs and jobs.

Creating jobs in areas that provide long-term savings and benefits, such as renewable energy, are obviously better than those that provide short-term employment and don't provide the same future savings--like construction on I-94 in Kalamazoo. But, we need jobs now--right now--and I-94 is ready to go.

Creating jobs and providing Americans with confidence in their job security will restore consumer confidence. Giving Americans an extra $5 a week in tax cuts will not. The $600 stimulus checks for shopping with G.W. Bush & Co. produced a momentary increase of less than 1 percent economic growth.

We may not be able to spend our way out of this recession, but tax cuts only dig us deeper into the same hole we dug for eight years under George W. Bush.

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Why Michiganians should support Caroline Kennedy for U.S. Senator

By Thom Myers - ObamaZoo - Dec 29th, 2008 at 9:11 am EST

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Caroline Kennedy would be the best possible choice to fill the soon-to-be vacant Senate seat of Hillary Clinton for very practical political reasons.

Whoever is appointed to fill the vacancy will rank no higher than 98th out of 100 senators in seniority, which is the basis for power and influence in the Senate. As an appointee, the person filling the vacancy would have even less influence than an elected first-time senator, unless that appointee already has national name recognition and important political connections, including the president of the United States. In other words, Caroline Kennedy. Read More »

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Uniting volunteers for change in Southwest Michigan

By Thom Myers - ObamaZoo - Nov 29th, 2008 at 2:54 pm EST

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Congratulations on a great victory Nov. 4, and thank you for everything you contributed to the campaign to elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Yes we did!

The election is over, and the Kalamazoo Field Office of the Campaign for Change has closed, but our work did not end with the election. Campaign volunteers in Kalamazoo are organizing to continue the important work we began with the election of Barack Obama and to help fill the void created by the closing of our regional field office. Read More »

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Uniting volunteers for change in Southwest Michigan

By Thom Myers - ObamaZoo - Nov 29th, 2008 at 2:50 pm EST

Also listed in: 10 groups

Congratulations on a great victory Nov. 4, and thank you for everything you contributed to the campaign to elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Yes we did!

The election is over, and the Kalamazoo Field Office of the Campaign for Change has closed, but our work did not end with the election. Campaign volunteers in Kalamazoo are organizing to continue the important work we began with the election of Barack Obama and to help fill the void created by the closing of our regional field office. Read More »

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Uniting volunteers for change in Southwest Michigan

By Thom Myers - ObamaZoo - Nov 29th, 2008 at 2:43 pm EST

Also listed in: 10 groups

Congratulations on a great victory Nov. 4, and thank you for everything you contributed to the campaign to elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Yes we did!

The election is over, and the Kalamazoo Field Office of the Campaign for Change has closed, but our work did not end with the election. Campaign volunteers in Kalamazoo are organizing to continue the important work we began with the election of Barack Obama and to help fill the void created by the closing of our regional field office. Read More »

Mail to a Friend | Link | Comments (0) | Report Objectionable Content